MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER
The flowers of history, especially such as relate to the affairs of Britain. Vol. I. B.C. 4004 to A.D. 1066.
page 502

others to custody in prison. And when this quarrel had become known to pope John, he sent into England Leo, bishop
o f Treves, who reestablished a lasting peace between them, and reunited those two powerful princes.
A.D . 991. The Danes ravaged the county of Ipswich, and slew Brithnoth, the duke of the East Saxons, at Maldon. And when this became known, tribute was paid to them, to the amount of ten thousand pounds, by the advice of Siricius, archbishop of Canterbury, and the other nobles of the kingdom, to induce them to desist from their incessant rapine, and conflagrations, and massacres of men which they were committing on the sea coasts.
A.D.
992. The holy Oswald, archbishop of York, departed this life, on the last day of February, and so ascended to the joys of the kingdom of heaven, and was buried at Worcester, in the church of the blessed Virgin Mary, which he had founded himself, and was succeeded by jEdulph, abbot of Medesham. The same year, by command of king Ethelred, many ships were manned with picked soldiers, and the king appointed jElfric, Theodred, JElstan, and Esewin, to command them, enjoining them to strive to resist all invasions. And duke iElfric sending a messsenger to the enemy, desired them to forbear from planning treachery against him. But when at last a naval battle was on the point of taking place between the hostile parties, duke iElfric himself became a traitor, and fled secretly to the Danish fleet; but, as necessity compelled, he only united with them in a shameful flight. And the forces of the king pursued them, and took one ship of the Danish fleet, and slew all the men who were in it, and spoiled it of its treasures. But the rest of the Danish pirates were met in their flight by the ships belonging to London, who fought a battle with them, and slew many thousands of the Danes. Moreover, they took the ship of duke iElfric, full of soldiers and arms, the duke himself escaping with difficulty.
A.D.
993. The before-mentioned army of pagans broke into Bamburgh, and plundered it, and ravaged the provinces of Northumberland1 and Lindsey. And when the people of the
It must be remembered that in this and similar passages it is not the modern county of Northumberland, but the old kingdom of the heptarchy which is meant, which, though its boundaries are not accurately known, included probably Yorkshire, Durham, Lancashire, Cumberland, Westmoreland, and great part of the south of Scotland.

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